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This Mexican menu lends itself beautifully to entertaining a crowd of friends or a block party for the neighborhood. The recipes may be doubled with ease. The turkey develops a subtle smoky flavor during barbecuing that intensifies nicely if you choose to do it in advance and chill it. Salsa accompanies it, along with black beans, a colorful corn and pepper casserole, and a cucumber and orange salad. Dessert features a freshly churned mango sorbet. For a wine accompaniment, consider a fruity red wine such as a Ridge Geyserville Sonoma County 1993, a Saucelito Canyon Zinfandel Arroyo Grande Valley 1993, an Australian Marienberg Shiraz McLaren Vale 1992, or an affordable Turning Leaf Zinfandel.

Orange, Cucumber, and Jicama Salad
makes 8 servings

l large head romaine
2 navel oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
1 small red pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces and place in a salad bowl. Arrange the oranges, cucumber, onion, jicama, and pepper on top. Mix together the oil, vinegar, oregano, and salt and pepper. Pour this dressing over the salad and mix lightly.

Smoky Barbecued Turkey Breast
makes 10 to 12 servings

1 turkey breast (about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, slivered
1 lemon, halved

Season the turkey with salt and pepper, tuck the garlic in the meat, and squeeze the lemon juice over the breast. Place on a barbecue grill, cover, and cook over medium-low coals until a meat thermometer registers 170�F, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the heat. Remove to a platter. Serve hot or chilled.

Hot Tortillas

Wrap flour tortillas in foil and heat on the barbecue a few minutes, just until heated through.

Mexican Salsa
makes about 2 1/2 cups

4 tomatoes, peeled and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons diced canned green chile pepper or fresh hot peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill several hours.

Black Beans
makes about 8 servings

1 pound dried black beans
Water
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 stalk celery or fennel with leaves, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small dried red pepper, seeds removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can (8 oz. ) tomato sauce
Yogurt and chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large saucepot, cover the beans with 2 inches of cold water and let soak overnight. Drain, and add 5 cups water to the beans, along with the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, allspice, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are almost tender, adding more water if necessary.

Add the wine vinegar and tomato sauce and simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, make in advance and refrigerate. To serve, heat through and top each serving with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro.

Colache
makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced
3 medium crookneck squash, sliced
1 red or green pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced
1/3 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ears of corn, cut from the cob or 1 1/3 cups frozen corn, thawed

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced In a large frying pan, heat the oil and saute the onion, zucchini, crookneck squash, and pepper a few minutes, stirring. Add the water, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, covered. Add the corn and tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are crisp tender.

Mango Sorbet
makes about 1 quart

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
4 mangoes, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons frozen orange concentrate

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook until the sugar is dissolved; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes; cool. In a food processor or blender, puree the mangoes, lime zest and juice, and orange concentrate, and blend in the cold syrup. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.

Lou Seibert Pappas is a former food editor of the Palo Alto Times Tribune and a home economist with Sunset Magazine. She currently writes food, home, and travel-related articles for national magazines and newspapers and is the author of more than 30 books.